Method, system, and program for simulating Input/Output (I/O) requests to test a system

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for simulating I / O requests to test a system coupled to an adaptor having a port used for transmitting and receiving I / O requests to the system. A user test command is received indicating an I / O test object. The adaptor processes the I / O test object indicated in the user test command to generate a sequence of simulated I / O requests and transmits the generated simulated I / O requests to the system.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention relates to a system, method, and program for simulating Input / Output (I / O) requests to test a system.[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art[0004] Computing systems often include one or more host computers ("hosts") for processing data and -running application programs, direct access storage devices (DASDs) for storing data, and a storage controller for controlling the transfer of data between the hosts and the DASD. Storage controllers, also referred to as control units or storage directors or servers, manage access to a storage space comprised of numerous hard disk drives connected in a loop architecture, otherwise referred to as a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD). Hosts may communicate Input / Output (I / O) requests to the storage space through the storage controller.[0005] As part of the manufacturing process, the storage controller is stress and load tested before shipment to the customer. This test process requires ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates operations performed by the network adaptor device driver 16 to process the user test command 50 and initiate the I / O simulation mode. The operating system 12 would send the user input command 50 from the user input mechanism 29 to the device driver 16. Upon the device driver 16 receiving (at block 120) the user test command 50, if (at block 122) the test enabling file is in the file system 28 at the predefined location or the test enabling setting is made elsewhere in the storage controller 2, then the device driver 16 would transmit (at block 124) the received user test command 50 to the network adaptor 8a, 8b identified in the adaptor and port ID field 52 (FIG. 3) of the command 50. If no adaptor and port ID 52 is specified, then the device driver 16 may send the user input command 50 to a default network adaptor 8a, 8b. In further implementations, the device driver 16 may transform the received user input command 50 into a command used by the adaptor firmware 24. If (at block 122) the test enabling file is not at the predetermined file system 28 location or the test enabling setting was not made, then control ends (at block 126) with a return message of fail that may indicate the reason for the failure, i.e., no test enabling file or setting provided. In this way, the test enabling file or setting check requires that the user indicate in the storage controller 2 an intention to enter I / O simulation mode independent of the user test command 50 (by way of storing a predefined file at a predefined storage location, making a setting selection in a program, etc.). This avoids the situation where a user test command is inadvertently received when there was no intention to enter I / O simulation mode, and would generate I / Os that would unintentionally overwrite user data in the storage system 10.

[0036] With the described implementations, in response to a user test command, the storage controller network adaptors would generate simulated I / O requests to stress and load test the storage controller 2 components that handle I / O operations. Different I / O chains and user defined I / O sequence may perform different types of load and stress tests to test different aspects of the storage controller operations. This avoids the need to use labor, floor space, and host systems to connect to the storage controller 2 to perform I / O stress and load tests. Instead, all the stress and load I / O tests are generated internally by the storage controller network adaptors. The described I / O simulation mode may be used to perform failure analysis of storage controller 2 components and subcomponents before the storage controller is shipped, to failure test parts or systems returned by the customer, or to run tests when providing customer support after the storage controller is shipped and setup at the customer site.

Problems solved by technology

This testing process is quite burdensome and expensive because the manufacturer must maintain and operate host systems capable of generating I / Os at a rate commensurate with the intended operating environment.

Further, significant human labor is required to connect and disconnect host systems to the multiple I / O ports on each storage controller being tested for shipment.

These labor costs are substantial when numerous storage controllers are being shipped.

Further, a large warehouse floor space may be needed for the host systems and storage controllers being tested.

Images